tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5888438300076664400.post6925194727531893945..comments2014-12-09T17:25:07.561-08:00Comments on Words and Images: Jimmy Corrigan: SuperBetaAdamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16302919444091859459noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5888438300076664400.post-48900228586732526252014-11-12T18:37:57.478-08:002014-11-12T18:37:57.478-08:00Your introduction is unpolished but interesting. ...Your introduction is unpolished but interesting. I could have done with another sentence about what viewing the book in terms of alpha & beta males gets for us - what does it teach us, or how does it help us interpret the book?<br /><br />“Of course, it is to note that this is a strong binary that Ware creates to exaggerate the issue and in real life most men would feel that they fall between these two extremes.” -- this is good. Ware is deliberately cartoonish in his depiction of masculinity, and I think emphasizing the extremes as you do here is productive.<br /><br />The cat & mouse paragraph is fine, although I feel like you might be a little stuck on the instructions - they are only one small section, after all.<br /><br />“As one reads the novel it is obvious that Jimmy Corrigan lives in a lonely dark world that is dull on its best days.” - you need to work on comma usage, but this is a nice sentence anyway.<br /><br />I think that the robot/metal suit/crutch sequence is relevant, but I think you focus too much on the beginning, unless there’s something I’m missing. There’s some payoff here, when you distinguish between the fantasy and real alphas: “This interaction actually is sequentially right before the vision of superman jumping thus correlating with his need to fight against the alphas.” Nonetheless, I think if you clarified what you were really doing in this argument a little you would have found that some of this material was best off being trimmed.<br /><br />“In contrast to these recent beta buddy films, Jimmy does not find a new best friend, nor score a hot chick. None of these defining moments happen for him. In fact it is quite the opposite. Jimmy finally visits his father, eats dinner, watches a movie, eats breakfast, goes to the hospital, then go back home and just like that, loses him. Jimmy meets his stepsister in the process, and finally comes out of his shell while trying to comfort her after the loss of their father, only to be pushed away in utter disgust. Jimmy had nothing already and somehow still lost even more.” -- You draw an interesting contrast and have some interesting ideas. This is certainly your best work regardless, but it will stand out much more if you manage to articulate what Ware is really up to with his relentless negative caricature of both alpha and beta males.<br /><br />“This is like that of the beta male movies. He began hopeless and lame, found a family or friend and transformed into the more accepted manly figure. Once Jimmy’s father found a real purpose to become that #1 Dad, he actually had a full set of hair and a happier demeanor. Later, upon meeting Jimmy, his father does not have that same purpose as he is alone again, thus having a bald head.” -- good again. But what does this regression through the years and generations mean? Why are they all regressing into their own forms of betadom?<br /><br />“Ware realizes how sad it is to just be Clark and not have the ability to exhibit any Superman like qualities.” - nice line<br /><br />Overall: You made progress here. The topic and your approach to it are good, and I have no complains about your research. Where you struggle is with the most difficult but also most important part - explaining what we take away from a detailed analysis of how Jimmy is a beta, how he differs from more standard depictions of betas on their way to happiness, and why the unending negativity of his betadom matters. I like this, but I was looking for a stronger, clearer interpretation of where your insights take us and why they matter.Adamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16302919444091859459noreply@blogger.com